What Purpose does Section one serve in a Reading of &amp;#145;To Kill a Mockingbird&amp;#146;?

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Introduction

What Purpose does Section one serve in a Reading of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'? Section 1 of the novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird', by Harper Lee establishes the main style and themes of the narrative. It begins by giving a brief summary of the history of the Finch family before setting the scene for the main action of the novel. It introduces the reader to the main characters who will, Scout, Jem, Atticus and Miss Maudie and some of the families who are relevant to the story, the Radleys and the Ewells. Some of the themes of the book become apparent in the first section and are then continued and elaborated on in the second half. ...read more.

Middle

This catches the attention of the reader, as their curiosity is aroused and they want to know what she is talking about. The writer then goes on to write a short history of the Finch family and a description of each of the characters immediately involved in the story; Atticus, Calpurnia and Dill. This provides a background to the events that are yet to happen and gets the reader to wish to know more about these people. The reader then becomes acquainted with their characters, attitudes and opinions and this provides the reader with some knowledge of how they will react to the events that happen in the second part of the novel. The first chapter also describes the events relating to the Radley family. ...read more.

Conclusion

The court case that Atticus is taking part in is frequently mentioned in the later chapters of the first section. He implies that it is a very controversial case and says that it goes to 'the essence of a man's conscience'. This raises issues about the case, which the reader will hope to be resolved in the second part. Their interest in the novel will be increased and they will be eager to read on to find out what will happen next. The reader is left in suspense at the end of the first section, as the book continues to recount other events that are not related to those the reader's interest lies in. Chapter eleven explains about Mrs Dubose and her illness. Although this provides a background to the story it is not a central theme of the story. ...read more.

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